Green for Life (GFL) Environmental will continue to provide household garbage and recycling pickup for the City of Estevan for another two years.
Estevan city council exercised a two-year extension clause in the city’s contract with GFL at the June 14 meeting, so the contract will now expire on June 30, 2023.
In 2018, the City of Estevan awarded a three-year contract, with a two-year option, for pickup to GFL.
The company also manages the recycling depot on Sixth Street and empties the smaller brown public bins located throughout the city on roads and in parks.
In a report to council, city manager Jeff Ward the city has had no significant issues with the service provided by GFL over the last three years.
“They have provided an account manager that is willing to discuss issues as they occur,” Ward said.
Ward noted that GFL indicated they will look at the brown bins. The bins in high volume areas continue to overflow and that bins need to be replaced or fully washed at certain times during the year.
GFL has been made aware of these concerns and has indicated they will increase the dump frequency of the high volume bins to twice a week. There will be a replacement and cleaning of the high volume bins throughout the year.
Councillor Travis Frank said he was confident that if the city didn’t exercise the option with GFL, and if the contract were to be put out to tender, that the cost of service would increase.
But Frank did want some more information on composting. A lot of people have been asking him about providing that service.
“People who are trying to be a little bit environmentally friendly, and have large bags of grass or other compostable items, would like somewhere to take it or to go,” said Frank.
There have been conversations with GFL in the past, he said, and he hopes they can be pursued.
Two choices that have been considered would be an optional cart that people would pay to have at their house, or a compost bin at the recycling depot on Sixth Street.
Ward said the city has talked with GFL about having compost bins at the recycling depot or in each corner of the city. He suggested something could occur for a fall Operation Clean Sweep campaign.
